“There are many
routes and career paths within dentistry. One such route is academic dentistry,”
says Sarah Dobson, a second-year dental student at University of North Carolina
at Chapel Hill Adams School of Dentistry.
“Academic
dental careers allow individuals to work outside of private clinical practice.
These roles may look like part-time or full-time positions at a dental school
through involvement in research, teaching a didactic or clinical course,
serving as an attending in clinical practice or fulfilling an administrative
role.” Read on to learn more about why Ms. Dobson is pursuing a career in
academic dentistry and its benefits.
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Many
dental hygiene students search for programs that not only teach the
discipline’s essentials, but also help students enter the workforce upon
graduation. “My dental hygiene program was very rigorous, not to mention the
worldwide pandemic that occurred midway into my training,” says Joel Bautista,
a recent graduate of West Coast University’s dental hygiene program. Read on as
Bautista reflects on his experience as a dental hygiene student in an
accelerated program during a pandemic and shares some words of wisdom for
allied dental students entering similar programs.
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“Whether you are in the process of applying to a dental
hygiene program, about to start your first semester or maybe even just
beginning to think about dental hygiene as a career, you may want to consider
what day-to-day life would look like in this academic program,” says
Third-year Dental Hygiene Student Caitlin
Gray and Fourth-year Dental Hygiene Student Rachel Schwartz. Both attend the University
of Minnesota School of Dentistry and want to provide you with some insight on
what to expect in a dental hygiene program and how to manage your personal life
while in the program. “We’ll walk you through what a typical ‘day in the life
of’ looks like for both junior and senior dental hygiene students.”
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“Applying to dental
schools typically requires extensive job shadowing hours to submit with your
application,” says Brianna Kosecki, a third-year dental student at the
University of Michigan School of Dentistry. “Generally, people shadow at a
handful of private practices before applying to dental school, and while there
is nothing wrong with that, shadowing can be a creative and unique aspect of
your application! Read on to learn Kosecki’s general ideas on shadowing
opportunities outside of general private practice that can help you set
yourself apart from your peers. ...
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“If you are planning
to apply to dental school in the United States, ADEA AADSAS
® (ADEA
Associated American Dental Schools Application Service) is the main platform
that simplifies the application process, allowing you to save time and energy
by completing just one application for multiple dental schools,” says Parinaz
Esteghamat, a first-year dental student at Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry of
USC. “If you are aiming to apply for dental school right after your
undergraduate degree, ADEA AADSAS should be filled out during your junior year.
Otherwise, please keep in mind that the application to dental school is a
year-round process which opens in early May and closes in February, and it is
on a rolling basis (first come, first served). The earlier you apply by
submitting the complete application, the higher your chance of getting an
invitation for early interviews.” ...
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“If you only
retain one thing from this article, it should be that when deciding whether to
apply to a certain school, ask yourself if you would attend that school if it
was the only one that accepted you,” says Brian Chang, a second-year dental
student at Case Western Reserve University School of Dental Medicine. “Turning
down an acceptance to reapply elsewhere can easily be a red flag!”
Read on for
more advice on how to carefully select your dental school designations ahead of
the June ADEA AADSAS® (ADEA Associated American Dental
Schools Application Service) submission date.
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“If you’re applying
to dental school this year, you’re probably anxiously counting down the days
until the
ADEA AADSAS® (ADEA Associated
American Dental Schools Application Service) application opens this year on May
11,” says Kristen
Horstmann, a third-year dental student at University of California, Los Angeles,
School of Dentistry (UCLA SOD). “And who can blame you! It’s an exciting time
filled with reflection and hope. But instead of scrolling away the hours until
then, consider preparing for your application now to alleviate stress later.
Without even opening the application, read on to learn what you can do to
prepare the strongest application possible.” ...
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“Choosing a
dental school can be quite the daunting task. It’s where you’ll spend the next
four years of your life, so it’s important to find a program that challenges
you yet makes you incredibly happy,” says Elyse Estra, a second-year dental
student at the University of Connecticut School of Dental Medicine.
“Now the
question is, how do you find that school? The answer is different for everyone.
As a predental student, you need to decide what you’re looking for in a
program, including what you’re willing to compromise on and what is
non-negotiable. You can apply to as broad a range of schools as you would like,
but remember, the application process is a time, financial and emotional
investment. Keep reading for a guide of some factors to consider while applying
to dental school.”
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“By April or May, I’m sure predental students will want to
take a break from studying and enjoy the nice weather outside in the spring and summer,”
says University of Michigan School of Dentistry student Tommy Lau. “While you
should take a break, the summer is also the perfect time to gain more
experience and exposure to dentistry and health care while conducting research
to make yourself a more competitive applicant.”
Read on to learn some of the things Mr. Lau would recommend all
predental students explore. It’s certainly not too early to start planning your
summer now.
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“The COVID-19 pandemic has rapidly altered the traditional predental
experience. Due to this public health crisis, there are a number of requests
from community-led initiatives, government agencies, charitable organizations
and nonprofits in public health for volunteers in a variety of roles,” says
Poonam Furmah, a second-year dental student at Case Western Reserve University
School of Dental Medicine.
“This pandemic, although dreadful, offers unique opportunities for
prehealth students to serve their local community. However, students must make
informed decisions and maintain a superior standard of care to prevent further
community spread to themselves and others,” Furmah said. “Not only will this
add valuable skills to your repertoire, but it will also benefit those who need
it most during this uncertain time.”
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